“It’s fun,” I say, glancing at Mariana. She’s… nice. Or at least she plays nice. It’s almost easy to forget she’s Hollywood royalty until she smiles just a little too perfectly.
“It is,” she agrees, her nod elegant and rehearsed. “It’s been a while since I spent time with someone outside the business. It’s… entertaining.”
I blink, unsure if that was meant as a compliment or an insult. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know either. She’sbreathtaking—there’s not a line on her face, not a flaw in sight. She must be flirting with forty, but she doesn’t look a day over thirty. I make a mental note to sneak a selfie later for Maya. Proof that I sat this close to a woman most people only see on screens.
“Jake said you’re taking us for a girls’ day? A spa?” I offer, trying for common ground. “Sounds fun. My best friend and I do that sometimes.”
Mariana laughs—it’s light, airy, and somehow sharp. “Oh, darling, I don’t think it’s quite the same.” Her gaze sweeps over me from head to toe, calculating. “I’m taking you tomyaesthetic spa. We’ve got a lot of work to do and only seven hours.”
My stomach tightens. “I’m… not sure what you mean?”
“Jake’s bringing you to the premiere tonight, isn’t he?”
I nod slowly, still not connecting the dots.
“Well,” she says, her voice like silk and ice, “we need to make sure you’re…presentable.”
The word lands like a slap, and heat crawls up my neck. “Jake likes me the way I am.”
“Oh, of course he does, sweetheart.” She waves her hand like she’s swatting away the thought. “Our Jake is so in love. Anyone can see that.”
For a moment, the tension breaks until she smiles wider. “But we don’t want to make his life harder, do we?”
Something cold sinks in my stomach. “Harder how?”
She sighs, all faux sympathy. “Your relationship is going to stir up negative press. And Jake?” She shrugs lightly. “He’s loyal. Too loyal. He’ll fight for you, burn through every bit of goodwill just to protect you. But wouldn’t yourather he saved that energy for somethingworth it?”
And it stings because maybe she’s right. I can’t stop thinking about yesterday at the park. About the girl. The camera. Jake’s voice, sharp and furious, on film. I already know it’s a PR nightmare in the making.
She places a manicured hand lightly over mine. The touch is soft, the meaning anything but. “Your relationship is already set to crash, darling. Let’s not make it easier.”
I yank my hand back and clench my jaw. “We’re not going to fail.”
Mariana offers a sad little smile that makes me want to scream. “Of course not, dear. You’ll be the exception.” She tilts her head. “Now your hair. I think we need to lighten it a little. You’re very pale. You’ll disappear next to him on the carpet.”
“I’m fine the way I am.”
Mariana hums like she’s humoring me. “Plenty of celebrities date normal people, sure. But tell me when’s the last time that actually worked? And I don’t mean some old couple from before social media existed or a washed-up D-lister clinging to his high school sweetheart. I mean, A-list heartthrobs like your Jake. Name me one who’s lasted five years or more.”
She lifts a brow, smug. “I’ll wait.” A glance at her watch. “Thirty minutes until Silver Spring Spa, darling. Think about it.”
“I love him,” I whisper.
“Of course you do,” Mariana murmurs, almost kind. “That much is clear. Maybe love is enough.”
“Will believes in us.”
That earns a laugh, unapologetic and somehow real. “Will Winters?” She grins wide. “Oh, honey. Will believes in fairy tales. Hell, Willisa fairy tale—chaotic, messy, completely unrealistic.” She leans in. “I’ve known him since the day he landed here. Popped his Hollywood cherry—on-screen, don’t get excited.” She winks, all teeth. “Ask him how his ‘normal’ worked out. He wants this for you because if you can pull it off, maybe it means he wasn’t a fool to try.”
She leans back, swirling the olive in her drink. “Spoiler, sweetheart, he was.”
I bite the inside of my cheek hard, forcing myself to look out the window.
Mariana sighs, all fake regret. “I can see I hurt you. Wasn’t my intention.”
Liar.
I say nothing. The city blurs past while my nails dig crescents into my palms.
